UK readies tougher cyber laws to shield public services and curb ransoms
“The UK unveiled proposals to force critical IT providers to meet stricter security standards and disclose major breaches quickly.”
Key points
- The UK unveiled proposals to force critical IT providers to meet stricter security standards and disclose major breaches quickly.
- Regulators would gain new powers and public bodies could be banned from paying ransoms.
- The move follows disruptive attacks on hospitals and major brands.
Britain proposed tightening cybersecurity rules for companies that run critical services for public bodies, saying providers would face stricter security standards and have to swiftly report serious incidents to the government and affected clients.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said regulators would gain powers to designate critical suppliers to essential services such as the National Health Service, with tougher penalties for breaches. The government also set out plans to bar public sector entities and operators of critical national infrastructure from paying ransoms to cybercriminals.
The proposals follow a string of attacks that disrupted hospitals and major consumer brands over the past year, with ministers arguing that tighter oversight is needed to harden public-service supply chains.
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